STYLE AND CULTURE

ASOS MAG MEETS KJ APA

February 25, 2019

With an acting career fully on the up, KJ Apa is loving life. After bagging a role in 2018’s powerful The Hate U Give, KJ is best known for playing Archie Andrews in the hit Netflix show Riverdale. ASOS Magazine caught up with KJ to chat about dealing with the spotlight, pressures from the industry and seizing his independence. Pick up a copy of the new ASOS Magazine Spring '19 issue for the full interview.

On dealing with fame

"The weird thing is that it used to be people calling me by my character’s name — now people come up to me in the street and know my name. Some people touch you and I had a hard time with people feeling like they can have that intimacy with me. Experiencing what it’s like to be on a huge TV show has given me perspective on people. The attention is strange and not comfortable. You put yourself in their shoes and think, 'If I saw someone like that, what would I do?'"

On industry pressures

"As soon as I started being on camera so much, I became self-conscious, which I never was [before]. Now I look in the mirror and feel unhappy with… whatever. The fact I have to look a certain way for the show, that can be pressuring. There are positives to that too. I’ve found my own style when it comes to fashion. I love monochromatic colors, being in one color."

Pictures: Peter Carter , Styled by Luke Raymond

On living his best 20s

"It’s easy to put pressure on yourself. Recently, it’s been realising, 'What do I want as a 21-year-old in life?' It’s super-important to write down what you want your life to look like in five years. In terms of relationships, battling between staying with the love of your life or being a 21-year-old and not living with regret when you’re older. I look at my parents’ marriage and I think, 'Don’t you wish that you’d waited a bit?'"